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Introduction

Hello ,

My name is Nick, I am 30 years old, married and have two children. I live in rural Nebraska about 3 hours from the nearest Zen Center.

I have been upon this journey since I was 9 years old. It was then that I realized the unavoidable reality of death. A day does not go by that I do not feel the ever present reality of impermanence. This is what brought me to Buddhism.

In time this lead me to Zen.
At the age of 27, I touched the heart of reality in a very deep way, again impermanence came to my aid and I realized that one cannot even grasp the heart of reality for it transcends the many and the one.
The understanding that practice/awakening never ends and the direct experience that there is no difference between practice/awakening is what brought me to Soto Zen.

I learned of this old monk named Kodo Sawaki Roshi who worked to return Zen back to its essential truth, Zazen. In time this lead me to Kosho Uchiyama Roshi and Gudo Wafu Nishijima, which in turn has lead me here to Treeleaf.

I am happy to have this opportunity to learn from Jundo and to be a member of this Sangha.